Florèz Wines "Poilu's Pinard" Cienega Valley, California 2024

FROM JENNY & FRANCOIS:

THE WINE: Co-ferment of Zinfandel, Mourvedre, Muscat, Grenache and Cabernet Pfeffer. Pinard is a slang term for wine popularized by the wine rations of French troops in WWI, which the infantrymen deeply loved. These soldiers also had a slang name of ‘poilu’ or ‘the hairy one’ as they were typically rustic countrymen sporting bushy mustaches or beards. This cuvee tends to be experimental with different blending components each year. Muscat always plays a part giving an aromatic quality to this delicious light red.

THE PRODUCER: Florèz Wines was founded by James Jelks in 2017. Born in Santa Cruz and raised in Davis California Jelks is a west coast kid. After a decade of wine fascination, attending the UC Davis E&V program, and working worldwide Jelks set his sights on producing wines in Santa Cruz county. He is farming some vineyards himself, always dry-farmed, and is also sourcing some fruit from organic and sustainable vineyards. He always works with native yeasts, does not use additives except for a minimal amount of sulfur at bottling, and does not filter the wines.